The Toronto Blue Jays are casting a wide net in their search for rotation upgrades, already showing interest in free agents Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse and Ryan Dempster, among others, according to major-league sources.

Toronto was a surprising contender in the American League East – much like Baltimore, the eventual wild-card winner – but fell out of the race after its starting rotation was ravaged by injuries. Toronto starters finished with a 4.82 ERA, sixth worst in the majors.

The Blue Jays also are among the clubs to inquire on right-hander Scott Baker, a free agent after going 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA over 134-2/3 innings during an injury-shortened 2011 season with the Minnesota Twins. He did not pitch in the majors this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. Baker may not be ready when the regular season begins but is viewed as valuable rotation depth.

The Red Sox, Cubs and Rangers have varying degrees of interest in Baker, as well, sources say.

Free agents can begin switching teams Saturday, in what could be a frenetic start to the Hot Stove season. Until then, clubs are allowed to contact representatives and exchange information but not discuss contractual terms.

The Oakland Athletics are a surprising wild-card contender despite being last in the American League in OPS from shortstop, last at catcher and next-to-last at third base.

They have tried to upgrade at third, where Brandon Inge is now in an 8-for-58 slump that includes 21 strikeouts and one walk.

They probably won’t upgrade at catcher, given that Kurt Suzuki is signed for $6.45 million next season and Derek Norris is his eventual successor.

But general manager Billy Beane would "love" to get a shortstop who could improve upon Cliff Pennington’s .203 batting average and .556 OPS, according to a major league source.

The A's, who on Tuesday begin a six-game homestand that features the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, are not yet in serious trade discussions, sources say. But their potential targets include the Toronto Blue Jays’ Yunel Escobar and Diamondbacks’ Stephen Drew.

Escobar, at first glance, would not appear to be much of an upgrade: His OPS has declined from .782 last season to .635 this year. He also comes with makeup questions, though Beane historically is undaunted by such issues.

The Jays are willing to move Escobar, sources say, in part because of their belief that Triple A shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is ready to play in the majors. Hechavarria, 23, is batting .314 with an .805 OPS in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Escobar, 29, is under contract for $5 million this season and $5 million next season, and his deal includes $5 million club options for both 2014 and ’15.

Drew, who played for Athletics manager Bob Melvin during Melvin’s tenure with the Diamondbacks, likely would be a rental. He is earning $7.75 million this season, and his deal includes a $10 mutual option for 2013.

The bigger question with Drew, 29, is his physical condition. He missed nearly 11 months after he broke his right ankle and is only 8 for 39 (.205) with two walks since returning.

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos scouted Joe Blanton’s start for the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and left the ballpark after Blanton exited the game, major league sources told FOXSports.com.

The circumstances are straightforward: The Blue Jays would like to add experience to their rotation, and the Phillies are willing to listen to offers for Blanton.

Blanton, 31, pitched three shutout innings against the Orioles, allowing four hits. He walked one and struck out three. His starts will be closely scrutinized this spring after a medial impingement in his right elbow limited him to 11 games last year (1-2, 5.01).

Philadelphia’s primary interest in moving Blanton would be salary relief: He is set to earn $8.5 million this season in the final year of his contract. If the Phillies move Blanton, they could use the savings to renew their efforts to re-sign free agent Roy Oswalt. The Phillies spoke with Oswalt’s agent during the offseason, but the sides weren’t able to agree on a contract.

With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick, Philadelphia would have one of the top rotations in baseball even without Blanton — or Oswalt, for that matter.

It’s not clear if the Phillies would look to upgrade their everyday lineup via trade. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have yet to play this spring because of injuries, and Howard is likely to miss most of the first half while recovering from a ruptured left Achilles.

Phillies officials have said they are content with their existing options in left field. But the Blue Jays have a two-man competition — Travis Snider and Eric Thames — for the starting job there, raising the possibility one of them could be traded.

Anthopoulos and Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. are familiar with one another, having worked on the Roy Halladay blockbuster in December 2009. The teams train about five miles apart and play frequently in spring training.

Toronto’s rotation has upside but plenty of question marks after No. 1 starter Ricky Romero. Brandon Morrow could develop into a No. 2 starter, but he’s coming off a season in which he went 11-11 with a career-high 4.72 ERA. Henderson Alvarez, 21, is inexperienced but possesses electric stuff. Left-hander Brett Cecil reported to camp in much better shape. Dustin McGowan, an inspiring comeback story, has made only four big-league starts over the past three seasons because of a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

Blanton is 2-0 with a 4.02 ERA in 10 career postseason appearances (40-1/3 innings). No member of Toronto’s projected rotation has pitched in the playoffs.

For those wondering, Manny Ramirez does not have to be completely idle during his 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy.

Ramirez, who turns 40 on May 30, is eligible to play in spring-training games, according to major-league sources.

Once the season starts, he can work out with either major- or minor-league clubs, provided he leaves by the time the gates open. He also can appear in games during extended spring training, which generally is for players who are not ready to play for a full-season club, either due to injury or inexperience.

Finally, as his suspension draws to a close, Ramirez can play in the minors on a rehabilitation assignment. That assignment, however, would consist of only 10 games, not the normal 20.

The Oakland Athletics remain the front-runners to sign Ramirez, but first want to add a reliever, according to major-league sources; they have been in talks with the Texas Rangers about right-hander Koji Uehara.

The Baltimore Orioles have publicly backed off Ramirez. The Toronto Blue Jays showed interest at one point, but the talks failed to progress, sources said.

The Baltimore Orioles should have traded right-hander Jeremy Guthrie at the non-waiver deadline last season, or even before. His value was higher when he was further away from free agency, under greater club control.

Instead, the Orioles made a deal that is all too typical of them. They waited too long to move Guthrie and received too little in return. They need prospects, genuine prospects, and they did not get one in the deal that they completed with the Colorado Rockies on Monday.

Guthrie for right-handed starter Jason Hammel and reliever Matt Lindstrom makes sense in a vacuum. The combined salaries of Hammel and Lindstrom in 2012 will be in the range of Guthrie’s. And the Orioles will trumpet that they acquired a combined four years of control for one.

Problem is, Hammel, 29, and Lindstrom, 31, will not be part of the Orioles’ next contending team. They likely will not even help the Orioles advance toward contention. They are mediocre veterans — Lindstrom may be a little better than that — while Guthrie, 32, is a pitcher who had actual value.

The word “had” is applicable not because of Guthrie’s performance — he pitched gallantly as a No. 1 starter in the American League East, averaging nearly 200 innings and compiling an ERA-plus of 106 during the past five seasons. But the formula for trades is always the same: The higher a player’s salary, the closer he is to free agency, the less a team gets in return.

New Orioles general manager Dan Duquette inherited the situation. His predecessor, Andy MacPhail, was the executive who steadfastly held on to Guthrie. Perhaps Duquette could have made a better deal earlier in the off-eason, involving a greater number of suitors. But, heck, the Orioles didn’t hire Duquette until Nov. 6.

So, welcome to another episode of, “As the Orioles churn.”

Hammel, who has a career ERA-plus of 92, will fit somewhere in the O's rotation, but don’t expect anything close to Guthrie. Lindstrom has been traded three straight offseasons, acquiring the reputation of a reliever who is not entirely trustworthy.

Guthrie, on the other hand, will be the Rockies’ No. 1 starter. That enables the Rockies to ask less of their 25-and-under rotation candidates: right-handers Jhoulys Chacin, Juan Nicasio and Alex White; lefty Drew Pomeranz; etc.

The Rockies believe Guthrie will benefit from pitching for a better club and benefit from joining an organization that doesn’t change pitching coaches seemingly every year. Their bullpen, bolstered by the additions of several youngsters in offseason trades, should be deep enough to withstand the loss of Lindstrom.

And guess what?

If the Rockies fail to contend, they can flip Guthrie at the deadline. The Toronto Blue Jays would be one team with interest, sources said. The Jays might not contend, either, but could acquire Guthrie with the idea of signing him long term.

Guthrie might be the best starting pitcher available in July. His value would spike even though he would be only two months from free agency. And here’s the final dagger from the Orioles’ perspective:

The Rockies probably could make a better deal for him than the O’s just did.

• The recent four-player Yankees-Mariners trade likely will be debated for years.

One good sign for the Mariners: Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers, who worked for the Yankees in 2010, is a fan of right-hander Hector Noesi, who went to the Mariners with catcher Jesus Montero for righty Michael Pineda and minor-league righty Jose Campos.

Towers, renowned for his pitching expertise, asked for Noesi as part of a trade package when he spoke with the Yankees about outfielder Justin Upton after the ’10 season, according to a rival executive.

• The obvious benefit of the Nationals’ failure to sign free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder is that it allows the team to retain positional flexibility, particularly in center field.

A long-term deal for Fielder eventually might have forced the Nats to use an outfield of Michael Morse in left, Jayson Werth in center and Bryce Harper in right. Without Fielder, they can move Morse to first after Adam LaRoche plays out his contract this season and pursue a legitimate center fielder.

Michael Bourn, Shane Victorino and B.J. Upton are eligible for free agency next offseason, and the Nats also are high on three of their center-field prospects – Brian Goodwin, Michael Taylor and Eury Perez.

None, though, has yet to play above Class A.

Goodwin, the 34th overall pick in last year’s draft, is the team’s fifth-ranked prospect, according to Baseball America. Taylor, who draws comparisons to Mike Cameron, took perhaps the biggest jump of any player in the system last season. Perez is a speedster with offensive potential.

• As I reported on Twitter earlier this week, the Cubs, Marlins and Tigers are the three clubs scouting Cuban outfielder Yoennis Cespedes most closely in the Dominican.

Cespedes finally hit the open market Wednesday. The bidding for him is certain to be intense, if for no other reason than the new spending limits on international amateur talent will limit clubs in most foreign markets. (Cuban defectors and Asian players who are older than 23 and have more than five years professional experience will not be subject to the restrictions.)

Starting with the 2012-13 signing season, each club will be allocated a signing-bonus pool. The pools will be equal in 2012-13, then will vary based on reverse order of winning percentage thereafter. Clubs that exceed their respective limits will be subject to penalties.

• Remember Kosuke Fukudome?

He remains a free agent, and the Brewers showed interest in him before paying a combined $4.75 million for Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoiki — a $2.5 million posting fee and a two-year, $2.25 million contract.

Fukudome, who had a combined .712 OPS last season for the Cubs and Indians, wants to remain in the majors, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking. Some executives, however, believe he may end up back in Japan.

• Speaking of Japanese players, Rangers right-hander Koji Uehara had such a positive experience in Baltimore, he recommended the Orioles to the two free-agent lefties the team signed out of the Japanese league, Tsuyoshi Wada and Wei-Yin Chen, according to a major-league source.

Uehara invoked his limited no-trade protection to reject a deal to the Blue Jays this week, sources say, prompting the Jays to sign free-agent righty Francisco Cordero to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.

A trade back to the Orioles is a possibility.

• The Red Sox are talking to free-agent right-hander Edwin Jackson, who could be open to a one-year deal.

Two years ago, agent Scott Boras negotiated such a “pillow” contract with the Red Sox for another of his clients, third baseman Adrian Beltre.

One executive, however, points out that the AL East offers no such soft landing for a starting pitcher. If Jackson signs for one year, he might be better off in the NL, where he could produce better numbers before going back into the open market.

The Jays were thwarted in their attempts to trade for right-hander Mat Latos and lefty Gio Gonzalez and obtain the rights to Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish. They still could sign a free agent, but are unlikely to acquire righty Matt Garza from the Cubs, major-league sources say.

Latos and Gonzalez both are under club control for four more years. Garza is under club control for only two more, and the Jays aren’t as willing to give up top prospects for a relatively short-term addition, sources say.

A free agent on a short-term deal would be more desirable, but the Jays do not appear especially interested in righties Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt. They also are unlikely to pursue righty Edwin Jackson, who reportedly is seeking a five-year, $60 million deal.

The Jays are in position to show restraint, given the starting-pitching depth throughout their organization.

Their major-league rotation currently is set with five pitchers who are 29 and under — left-handers Ricky Romero and Brett Cecil and righties Brandon Morrow, Henderson Alvarez and Dustin McGowan.

The Jays also expect to consider at least four youngsters for major-league promotions in 2012 — righties Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison, Deck McGuire and Chad Jenkins.

Below that group are five other pitchers who cracked their top 10 prospects for 2012, according to Baseball America — left-handers Daniel Norris and Justin Nicolino and righties Aaron Sanchez, Noah Syndergaard and Asher Wojciechowski.

The Detroit Tigers have emerged as a suitor for Chicago Cubs starter Matt Garza.

Interest in Garza has picked up recently, major league sources say, and the Tigers are involved. Multiple teams are pursuing Garza aggressively, increasing the odds that the right-handed starter will be dealt before spring training.

The New York Yankees are interested in Garza, but one source said they are not currently engaged because of the Cubs’ asking price. Garza’s rising salary — likely more than $8 million in 2012, with another year of salary arbitration thereafter — could become problematic because of the Yankees’ proximity to the luxury-tax barrier.

However, unlike many available pitchers, Garza already has proved he can win in the rugged American League East. Given that, and the Yankees’ continued need for pitching, the Bronx can’t be ruled out as a possible destination.

The Tigers have quietly pursued starting pitchers throughout the offseason. They tried to acquire Gio Gonzalez before he was dealt from Oakland to Washington, but those efforts stalled when the A’s demanded righty Jacob Turner and third baseman Nick Castellanos. Because Garza comes with fewer years of control, the Cubs would be less likely to insist on both Turner and Castellanos in talks with Detroit.

The Toronto Blue Jays have discussed Garza with the Cubs, but one source said there has been no recent momentum toward a deal. The Blue Jays were serious enough about upgrading their rotation that they submitted a posting bid for Japanese pitching star Yu Darvish in December.

The Boston Red Sox hope to add at least one starting pitcher and are fond of Garza, but they don’t have active trade talks with the Cubs right now, according to one source. It’s unclear if Boston has the prospects to swing a deal for Garza after using so much minor league depth to acquire relievers Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon.

Keith Law is a unique figure in baseball, a person who has shifted between front-office and media positions.

He soon may be on the move again.

Law, a senior baseball writer for ESPN.com, interviewed last week for a number of front-office roles with the Houston Astros, including the job of scouting director, according to major-league sources.

Law met with both new club president George Postolos and general manager Jeff Luhnow, but the team has yet to offer him a position, sources say.

In his current job, Law oversees ESPN’s scouting-related content. Prior to joining ESPN in 2006, he spent 4½ years as a special assistant with the Toronto Blue Jays. Prior to that, he was a free-lance writer for Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.

Once the winner of the Yu Darvish sweepstakes is identified, expect the losing bidders to shift quickly into trade mode.

If the Rangers fail to get Darvish, they could accelerate their talks for Athletics left-hander Gio Gonzalez.

If the Blue Jays strike out on Darvish, they could increase their pursuit of Cubs right-hander Matt Garza.

Both the Rangers and Blue Jays like Garza, but the Rangers prefer Gonzalez, who is under club control for four more seasons, major-league sources say.

Garza, who is under control for two more years, is attractive to the Jays because of the success he enjoyed in the AL East while pitching for the Rays.

The Cubs are drawing heavy interest not only in Garza, but also left-handed reliever Sean Marshall, sources say. The lack of depth in their minor-league system – and the restrictions on spending in future drafts - would be the motivation for a trade of either or both.

If the Cubs chose to rebuild in such fashion, they would be more likely to trade for Padres first baseman Anthony Rizzo than spend heavily on free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder.

Rizzo was one of the players that Cubs president Theo Epstein, during his tenure as Red Sox GM, traded to the Padres for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Rival executives believe that the Padres will move Rizzo, who became expendable when the Pads acquired first baseman Yonder Alonso in the Mat Latos trade.

Oliver, 41, is coming off a season in which he posted a career-low 2.29 ERA in 61 relief appearances for the Texas Rangers.

Oliver pitched for the Red Sox (2002) and Angels (2007-2009) earlier in his career.

Oliver has reached the postseason in each of the last six years but is still looking for his first World Series ring. So, he is almost certain to sign with a team that has a realistic chance of winning it all in 2012. He lives with his family in the Dallas area, so a return to the Rangers would be easiest from a personal standpoint.

The Angels’ $331.5 million investment in free-agent first baseman Albert Pujols and left-hander C.J. Wilson on Thursday only reinforced the Athletics’ vastly inferior status in the AL West.

So, the A’s again are turning back the clock, dangling pitchers such as Cahill, Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey for younger, less expensive players — not that Cahill, Gonzalez and Bailey are terribly expensive themselves.

The Cahill deal was Phase One. The interest in Gonzalez and Bailey continues to be intense, major-league sources say. Once Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish goes off the board, Gonzalez should be in even higher demand.

The Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals and Marlins are among the teams targeting Gonzalez, sources said. The Red Sox and Rays are among the clubs after Bailey. Certain teams, including the Rangers and Reds, like both.

The Athletics’ plan is to acquire as much young talent as possible in preparation for either a move to a new ballpark in San Jose or additional years of low-revenue purgatory in Oakland.

We’ve seen two closers get traded — Sergio Santos, from the White Sox to the Blue Jays, and Huston Street, from the Rockies to the Padres.

And we’ve seen one casualty in the market: Free agent Francisco Rodriguez, who accepted salary arbitration from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, when asked about the game of musical chairs earlier in the evening, joked, “I only need one chair.”

Boras found one for Rodriguez in terms of dollars — K-Rod, coming off a $13.5 million salary in 2011, will receive big money on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal in arbitration.

However, K-Rod will not get the closer role he covets, continuing as a setup man for John Axford. It’s doubtful that is what Rodriguez envisioned when he changed agents last summer, going from Paul Kinzer to Boras.

Rodriguez had a chance to sign with the San Diego Padres but lost that opportunity when the team traded for Street on Wednesday, sources said. The Brewers still could seek to move K-Rod. The Braves employed that strategy when Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration two years ago; they sendt him to the Rays.

Madson, another Boras client, declined arbitration from the Phillies. Had Madson accepted, he would have been in the awkward position of setting up for Papelbon, whom the Phillies had signed as his replacement.

The Red Sox now figure to be the only club willing to meet Madson’s price. The Phillies had discussions with him about a four-year, $44 million deal. But the Sox could trade for Bailey, who is a much less expensive option as he enters his first year of arbitration.

The Athletics have far fewer teams competing for Bailey than they did at the outset of the offseason, but they’re not necessarily down to only the Red Sox and Reds.

The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are among the teams that have shown interest in Bailey. Those teams, however, would not necessarily use Bailey as a full-time closer, perhaps reducing the quality of their trade offers.

Major League Baseball is still waiting on star Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish, and some around the game are beginning to question whether he will even be available for the 2012 season.

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters — Darvish’s current team — were expected to announce after the Japan World Series whether Darvish would be posted for MLB clubs. But the Japan Series ended about a week ago, and there has been no word from the club.

One source with close knowledge of Darvish’s thinking said Friday afternoon it remains “more likely than not” that the right-hander will come to the major leagues in 2012. The source added that there has been no deadline placed on the posting decision.

But consider the timeline of Daisuke Matsuzaka’s posting after the 2006 season. About six weeks passed between his posting and the signing of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. If Darvish’s process is of similar length, he won’t sign with an MLB team until the middle of January. And that’s probably the best-case scenario.

Darvish’s status could affect the plans of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, both of whom are in the market for starting pitching. The general managers of the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays scouted Darvish in person this season.